Top chef launches new book at Hamper Llangollen

 

* Dai Chef will be Hamper Llangollen with his

new recipe book.

 

A TOP celebrity chef who wowed opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti with his culinary skills has cooked up a new recipe book.

 

Dai Chef will be launching the book at this year’s Hamper Llangollen food festival, which is this weekend (October 19 and 20).

 

He famously cooked for Pavarotti when he came to perform at the International Eisteddfod in 1995, exactly 40 years after he first came to Llangollen as part of his father's choir from Modena, in Italy.

 

According to Dai, who also worked at the world-famous Carlton Club in London, the 100-page volume, entitled Let the Boy Cook, is packed with “fun, food and frolics” and designed to appeal to everyone from home cooks to culinary professionals.

 

He explained that the book’s title is based on a saying by his late father who often declared, “Let the boy cook!” whenever his vegetarian mother was proving a little reluctant to let the young Dai come up with tasty meat dishes at the family home in Aberystwyth.

 

“My Dad, Danny Davies, who died 10 years ago, was always very supportive when I wanted to try out my cooking. But my mother was a vegetarian, which back then in the 1950s wasn’t very common,” said 56-year-old Dai.

 

“She was always a bit reluctant to let me try meat dishes but that’s when Dad would come out with that saying telling her to just let me get on with it.

 

“I’ve remembered it all my life and when it came to coming up with a title for the book I thought it would be just perfect.

 

“People have been asking me for years why I didn’t write a cookery book but I never got round to it because I was busy with other things.

 

“Now I’ve finally written the book and am delighted to say I’ll be launching it Hamper Llangollen, where I always love to go to do cookery demonstrations and meet old friends.”

 

This year's festival is being supported by the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.

Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

 

The event has now established itself as one of the very best in the UK.

 

Hamper Llangollen was named in the Top 10 food festivals in Britain by the national newspaper, The Independent.

 

Dai was born and raised in Aberystwyth and trained at a culinary college in Haverfordwest. He lived in Chirk for many years.

 

He gained his initial experience in the kitchens of some of the largest hotels in London’s West End and by the age of 21 he was the youngest chef saucier – in charge of the creation of delicious sauces – at the world famous Carlton Club in St James’s.

 

Later, Dai became head chef at the White Hart restaurant in Lewes, Sussex, and for a time was the personal chef of the owner of Simpson’s in The Strand, which is based in the same building as the capital’s iconic Savoy Hotel.

 

He then returned to Aberystwyth to run his own restaurant and during a 16-year period starting in the 1990s was head chef at the Bryn Howel Hotel in Llangollen, which is where in 1995 Dai had the unforgettable experience of cooking for Luciano Pavarotti when the legendary Italian tenor was staying there for his appearance at Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

 

In 1996, Dai captained the Welsh team at the Culinary Olympics when it won a bronze medal for its culinary skills, and soon afterwards he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at Glyndwr University in Wrexham.

 

While he in charge of the kitchens at the Bryn Howel, Dai lived in nearby Chirk with his family and for a number of years was with Llangollen Rugby Club in the dual role as chairman and second row player.

 

After spell as a chef trainer – many of his pupils are now working in some of the world’s fin est restaurants – Dai took another hands-on role as chef director at the Ship Inn at Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey where he is still heading the team.

 

He said: “The book I’ll be launching at Hamper Llangollen later this month is a compilation of all my favourite recipes and has a very Welsh feel to it.

 

“Amongst the 100 or so recipes in there will be one of my signature dishes, Coracle of Llangollen Lamb. I developed it while I was at the Bryn Howel in Llangollen and it won me the Dragon Dish of the Year title in 1996.

 

“It uses every bit of the lamb including the sweetbreads and kidneys.

 

“The sweetbreads are cooked in cream and on top of them you have the loin or fillet and on the very top are faggots made from the liver and kidneys.

 

“I’ve also included my recipe for Cut Caws, which is goat’s cheese lightly grilled and topped with a little fresh orange chutney all set on a toasted brioche, and there’s also one for Llandegla Trout.

 

“The book will definitely be fun, food and frolics and by that I mean it will include some samples of my own poetry.

 

“It’s not heavy academic stuff, just some verses and sonnets I’ve written for family occasions such as weddings and christenings. There’s also some about St David’s Day and my beloved rugby.

 

“Hopefully, it will appeal to everyone from home cooks to professionals and I’m delighted to be launching it at the Llangollen food festival where I’ve been coming ever since it began.

“On the front of the book is a caricature of me, so if people don’t like it they can always put it up on their dartboard!

 

“I love the Llangollen event because, unlike some food festivals, it’s not in a marquee but in a proper setting with a big stage, which gives it a real sense of theatre when you’re doing cookery demonstrations.

 

“I also look forward to Llangollen because of all the old friends I meet there.”

 

Dai will be doing two cookery demonstrations on the Saturday and when he launches his book, which is priced at £9.99, he’ll be signing the first 150 sold.

 

Once again, he’ll be assisted by his 18-year-old Daniel, who has just back from Italy where he has finished his training in the front-of-house role of maître de’.  

 

Colin Loughlin, chair of the local committee that runs the festival, HehEhsaid: "In addition ot Dai Chef, there will also be a starring role for Graham Tinsley, the star of I TV's Taste the Nation and a former captain of the Welsh Culinary Team.

 

"We have a wonderful array of fantastic food producers clustered in the area and the festival is the perfect shop window for them.

 

Hamper Llangollen 2013 is on at Llangollen International Pavilion on October 19 and 20. For more information go to: www.llangollenfoodfestival.com

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Plans finalised for Llan Christmas Festival

Members of the Llangollen Christmas Festival Committee are now very busy finalising arrangements for this year's event, which will be on Saturday 30th November 

 

The Festival will start with Sion Corn’s arrival by steam train at the station and then he will accompany a parade  led by the Llangollen Silver Band through the streets to the Town Hall.

 

The Parade will start at the station at 1.00pm and proceed along Castle Street then into Market Street, East Street, Parade Street and then back to the Town Hall where Sion Corn will have his Grotto.

 

It is also the intention to close Oak Street from 10.00am to 6.00pm where street entertainment, market stalls, music and dancing will be available. 

 

Sion Corn’s Grotto will be in the Town Hall where children will be able to visit him and receive a small gift.

 

To avoid waiting a long time in a queue to see him arrangements are being made for tickets to be sold in advance at half hour time intervals. Those tickets will be available from the Town Hall Office and Tourist Information Office.   

 

Although the Festival Committee has received generous donations from some local businesses, to whom the group says it is extremely grateful, more funding is required to ensure a successful Festival so anyone wishing to make a donation should contact the Town Hall office on 01978 861345.

 

Funds have been raised from a Car Boot Sale, Sponsored Climb up Snowdon, contributions from an Abseiling event in Llangollen and it is the intention to hold a sponsored car wash with the help of the local Fire Service (date to be arranged) and also a Quiz Night in the Town Hall. Collection boxes have been placed in various locations in the town and these have raised well over £200 in the past but it is hoped that this sum will grow by the time of the Festival. 

 

A Raffle is being held once again and over 20 prizes have been donated so the Committee hopes everyone will be digging deep in their pockets and buying lots of tickets which will be on sale very soon. 

   

Arrangements are being made for lots of musical entertainment during the day provided by the Silver Band and many local choirs taking part.

 

There will be children's funfair rides, climbing tower, Punch & Judy shows, circus acts, Morris dancing, a storyteller, a facepainter and lots more to entertain you during the day until the Christmas Lights are switched on about 5.00pm followed by a Laser Light show or Firework display.

 

Once again pupils from Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Y Gwernant will be entering competitions and the winners will be invited to switch on the Lights. 

 

Pitches will be available at various locations across the town for those who bring their own Market Stalls at a cost of £25 and anyone interested should contact Gareth Thomas on 01978 861345. 

 

All net proceeds from the Festival will be donated to Hope House Children's Hospice. 

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llanblogger is taking a short break.

We'll be back online in just over a week's time to bring you all the latest in news and views from Llangollen and the surrounding region.

Clubs invited to apply for cash boost

Corwen and District Angling Club has received a community chest grant to continue the  work they have done encouraging new junior members to participate in the sport.

And the county council says every club in Denbighshire will be eligible to apply for a similar cash boost.

For the past four months Corwen Angling Club has taken groups of children to fish at Chirk Fishery for one day a month so that the kids can enjoy uninterrupted coaching.

The parents are invited and food is provided for them in addition to the children - this is all free of charge and all the kids are given free membership to the club.

The club will also be holding fly tying days at the Recreation Pavillion in Corwen over the winter free of charge.

A series of junior fishing competitions have also been arranged for next year in conjunction with Bala Angling Club.

This will be on a monthly league basis and will be over a 6 months period and the intention is to develop the skills of these kids to a high level of competence and the ultimate goal would be for some to represent Wales on the International fly fishing stage.

Corwen Cricket Club, and Henllan Football Club both also benefited from a recent community chest grant as they plan to introduce two new junior teams this year.  Corwen cricket club received the full £932 they requested for coach education, training costs and equipment and could still apply for another £568 for further costs this year too.  With two more meetings remaining in the current financial year the panel has over £30,000 still available and clubs are encouraged to apply, subject to their meeting the appropriate criteria.  For full lists of criteria go to http://denbighshireleisure.co.uk/grants.html#Denbighshire or pick up a leaflet from your local leisure centre.  Every club in Denbighshire will be eligible to apply for a community chest grant of up to £1500, every 12 months for separate projects.

Warning over cold call computer scam

Denbighshire Trading Standards is renewing its warning to residents to be extra vigilant following  reports of  telephone calls from a company falsely claiming to be a Manager from “Windows Computer Software in London” .

The cold callers are telling residents that their computers security is threatened and go on to offer free security checks.

If the initial sales pitch is successful, the victims help the fraudsters gain remote access to their computers via visiting a website called www.ammyy.com.

By visiting the site and downloading the legal software, it gives the scammers access to your computer and potentially to personal information that you may have on the computer,  for example account log-in information and bank details, all of which could be used to commit fraud.

Emlyn Jones, Denbighshire’s Public Protection Manager said: “Residents should be aware that neither Microsoft or its partners make unsolicited calls to charge for computer security or fixes.  If individuals need check then they should go to the official Microsoft website.”

   Trading Standards is offering the following advice to consumers:

§        Be suspicious of unsolicited calls related to a computer or other security problem, even if they         claim to represent a respected company
§        Never provide personal information, such as credit card or bank details, to an unsolicited caller
§        Do not go to a website, type anything into a computer, install software or follow any other         instruction from someone who calls out of the blue
§        If you can, take the caller’s information down and pass it to the authorities, but if you are         uncomfortable with the caller, simply put the phone down.
§        Use up-to-date versions of your operating and application software
§        Make sure security updates are installed regularly
§        Make sure the firewall is turned on and that anti-virus software is installed and up to date
§        If you have any concerns about your computer, take to a local/ reputable expert to check it out

To help reduce the number of unsolicited calls, consumers can register for the Telephone Preference Service on 0845 070 0707.

For further information or to report such a call, residents can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 or 08454 04 05 05 for the Welsh language service

Doggie treats for pampered pooches

* Pupcakes...canine chef Sharon Ludgate with Lola the Lab and the Christmas treats for pampered pooches.

Christmas is coming early for pampered pooches in North East Wales - with a range of doggie treats being launched at a food festival for humans.

Canine chef Sharon Ludgate, 34, will be unveiling the new festive cakes and biscuits made for dogs at the popular Hamper Llangollen event being held on Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20.

According to Sharon, from Penyffordd, near Buckley , in Flintshire, who started her company, Pupcakes, earlier this year, her products are also suitable for human consumption. 
 
She said: “I’m absolutely delighted and so excited to have been invited to attend the Hamper 2013 Llangollen Food Festival, it’s such a massive honour and privilege.

“I’m so looking forward to launching my Christmas range at the festival, I can’t wait.
“I’m launching three new specially flavoured Christmas cakes for dogs, apple and cinnamon, ginger and cranberry.

“On top of that I’ll be showing off my new doggie advent calendars filled with 24 little bone-shaped treats and Christmas stockings for dogs which are crammed full of a variety of treats.”

Sharon started Pupcakes with the help of her nine-year-old daughter, Emma, and her partner Scott, after spotting a gap in the market.

She explained: “We had a beautiful Labrador dog called George who was sadly a bit overweight. Most people know you shouldn’t give dogs chocolate but most commercially produced treats are still packed with sugar and fats, none of which does a dog a great deal of good.

“Emma and I used to make treats for George using wholemeal flour, fresh vegetables but no raw meat. It was all very healthy stuff and George used to love them.

“When George died of old age we took on a two-year-old golden Labrador called Lola. She was a rescue dog and grossly overweight when we got her.

“She has now lost a huge amount of that excess weight and really enjoys our healthy treats.”

She added: “I spent a year researching recipes before we launched Pupcakes and everything I make we taste-test ourselves, including Scott, who also looks after all the accounts and all the other admin tasks that comes with running any business.

“We now make a range of birthday cakes for dogs in a number of flavours including beef, chicken, minty lamb, peanut butter, cheese and carrot. Plus we make little biscuit bone-shaped treats which are hugely popular with my regular customers.

“I think people like what we do because they know we only use good wholesome ingredients and when we say there is no sugar and reduced fat in our products, people know they can trust us.”

Pupcakes is registered with Wrexham County Borough Council and Sharon labels all her products with a breakdown of their fat, sugar and protein content.     

She said: “It means customers know what they are getting and trust that the product they are giving their pets is first class.

“The ingredients are all hand-picked and fresh, the cakes and biscuits are perfectly suitable for human consumption too. In fact Scott really likes them!”

Sharon, who works closely with Trelogan-based North Clwyd Animal Rescue Centre, says she got the idea of introducing a Christmas range after feedback from customers.

She said: “Our doggie birthday cakes are proving ever more popular as are our biscuits. But customers have started asking for cakes and special treats for other special events such as Halloween and pet pamper evenings.

“That gave me the idea to introduce a Christmas range and I have had a lot of interest already from regular customers.

“I spent months perfecting the Christmas recipes and getting it just right. I’m really happy with the range and particularly like our advent calendars, I just think they are superb.”  
Sharon, has also just learned Pupcakes has been named BizMums Best New Business 2013.

She said: “I was amazed to learn some of my customers had nominated me for the BizMums award. I don’t know who nominated me but I’m so grateful to them.

“BizMums is a social enterprise that supports inspiring mums in business. It’s fantastic to be recognised in this way, especially as it is something of a new business idea. I've only just found out I have won and don't even know what the prize is yet although I know I get a special plaque.

“I’m now concentrating on getting ready for Llangollen where I hope to meet lots of dog owners wanting to treat their pets by giving Santa something special to pass on this Christmas.”

This year's Hamper Llangollen is being supported by the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.

 

Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

 

Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd's agri-food project officer, said: "In addition to many favourites, we have lots of new food producers wanting to come this year and we're delighted that Pupcakes will be joining us this year.

 

"Although Sharon's products are designed with dogs in mind, they are also perfectly fine for people to eat. She's created a new food based business which is contributing to the local economy.

 

"The location of the Pavilion is absolutely  spectacular - I can't imagine that any other food festival in the UK has a more beautiful setting.

 

"It's also brilliant news for the local economy. If you buy from a local producer, all that money is recycled through the local economy and that sustains employment in our rural areas."

 

For more information about Hamper Llangollen 2013 go to: www.llangollenfoodfestival.com